Win an ARC of Deadly Design by Debra Dockter at ReadingAfterMidnight [US only] and get some insights into the inspirational process behind the story.

Book description:

Genetically engineered identical twins Kyle and Connor McAdams were born two years apart. Their parents figured it was safer that way, to increase their odds of survival.

Connor was born first, paving an impossibly perfect path for Kyle to follow. He was the best at everything—valedictorian, star quarterback etc. Kyle never thought he’d be able to live up, so he didn’t even try.

But when Connor, 18, suddenly drops dead of a heart attack, and Kyle learns of other genetically modified kids who’ve also died on their eighteenth birthdays, he’s suddenly motivated—to save his own life. Like Connor and all the rest, Kyle was conceived at the Genesis Innovations Laboratory, where the mysterious Dr. Mueller conducted experiments on them.

The clock’s ticking as Kyle searches for answers: who was Dr. Mueller really, and what did he do to cause their hearts to stop at eighteen? He must unravel the clues quickly, before, he too, becomes another perfect, blue-eyed corpse.

The emotional power of If I Stay meets the survival story of Maze Runner.

Did you ever feel the need to actually hug a book, to hold it close to your heart? Did you ever feel that a book was somehow meant for you? Did you ever hear its gentle call? Because I did..

I love reading with a passion and there are books like AN EMBER IN THE ASHES that are absolutely perfect (In each. And every. Way!), so in sync with me, having a rhythm that matches precisely the one of my own heart.

It’s hard to put into words how much this story means to me, how much I love it. No.. I take it back, it’s not just love, I adore this book! From cover to cover, deeply charmed by each word in between, by each drop of ink on its pages.

AN EMBER IN THE ASHES is one of the most complex stories I’ve read lately, plot and character related. Even from the very first chapter it was mind-blowing and exquisitely beautiful and it left me with my heart aching all over – because I want more, I need more. Please tell me there will be more to this story!

I am at a loss for words because this book really took my breath away.

And I need to tell you more... I need to tell you how beautifully written it is, how amazingly vivid the world is, how incredible and fleshed out the characters are, how mind-blowing and breathtaking the plot is, how unreliable but relatable Ella is, how deeply she feels the loss of her father and how much she tries to keep her mother in her life for as long as she can. Not to mention just how nice Jack is and how I wanted to know more of their story.

Obviously, I can’t tell you much about the story itself, but rest assured that it blew my mind so badly that I can hardly think straight. I loved Across the Universe series, but this one might be even better. Or maybe just as much, I don’t know for sure… The fact is I really love this author and I can’t wait to read more from her.

I dived into this book without knowing much about it. And that was a good thing because I was surprised with each step I took, with each page, and nothing makes me happier than enjoying a good book.

THE BODY ELECTRIC is probably the most vivid dystopian story I’ve ever read. Those dreams were so awesome (!) I have no words to express my excitement. They alone would make for a great movie. Also, the turnarounds were absolutely crazy. And just how amazing the idea of reliving great memories is, huh? Not to mention the influence Ella had on them, without even knowing. Fantastic, I tell you, this story is fantastic! And yes, this means that I really loved everything about this book and it exceeded all my expectations – which were considerably high to begin with.

CONCLUSION:

I wish more books were like this one – with an unpredictable plot, strong characters and unique world building. Yes, it is still a dystopian world and the characters want to change the system, but the beauty sits in the nuances, in the details, in the beautiful images created through words, and Beth manages that magically.

I loved this book and I can’t wait for another one!Happy midnight reading!

Summer is still on! Where are you traveling now? If you haven't got a clue, these 13 books will show you the way. Plus, they will be a great companion of your summer reading. Let's start an adventure!

Bolivia

Bolivia is named after Simón Bolívar, a leader in the Spanish American wars of independence. The original name was Republic of Bolívar. Some days later,congressman Manuel Martín Cruz proposed: "If from Romulus comes Rome, then from Bolívar comes Bolivia" (Spanish: Si de Rómulo Roma, de Bolívar Bolivia). The name was approved by the Republic on 3 October 1825.[12] In 2009, a new constitution changed the country's name to the Plurinational State of Bolivia in recognition of the multi-ethnic nature of the country. (via)

The Lost World is a delight -- exciting, witty and humorous, and, best of all, gloriously romantic, a tale from a time when its fantastic premise still seemed almost plausible. The irony, of course, is that it carries with it the particular bane of this sort of romance: science and the belief of man's inherent superiority over nature... read more

Bear Mountain State Park, USA

The park opened June 1913. Steamboats alone brought more than 22,000 passengers to the park that year. Camping at Hessian Lake (and later at Lake Stahahe) was immensely popular; the average stay was eight days and was a favorite for Boy Scouts. By 1914 it was estimated that more than a million people a year were coming to the park. (via)

The characters of Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's On the Road are 20th Century equivalents of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer: boys having joyous American adventures. Sal and Dean trip (in more ways than one) back and forth from the east coast to the west, and down south even as far as Mexico, always looking to get their kicks. It's a free-flowing good time perfectly delivered in Kerouac's jazzy beat style... read more

Verona, Italy

Because of the value and importance of its many historical buildings, Verona has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Verona preserved many ancient Roman monuments, no longer in use, in the early Middle Ages, but much of this and much of its early medieval edifices were destroyed or heavily damaged by the earthquake of 3 January 1117, which led to a massive Romanesque rebuilding. (via)

First thing that comes to me is Romeo & Juliet, no matter what the version, movie or original play, its one that gets me every time. The romance, (even though its technically Shakespearean insta-love) is dreamy, and the connection is epic...read more

Ko Phi Phi Leh, Thailand

Koh Phi Phi Ley is the second largest island of the archipelago, the largest one being Ko Phi Phi Don. The island consists of a ring of steep limestone hills surrounding 2 shallow bays, the Maya Bay and Loh Samah. Maya Bay is popular for diving, and has become even more popular after the 2000 movie The Beach was filmed there. According to the Lonely Planet's Thailand guidebook, the 2004 tsunami dramatically improved the look of Maya Bay. This was due to the fact that the high waves had cleaned up the beach and removed all the landscaping the Fox production team had added. (via)

A young traveller in Thailand receives a map in a backpackers' hostel from a man who kills himself later that night. Richard decides to use the map to find the mysterious beach the man told him about and takes a young French couple with him. But getting to the beach is only the beginning of a story which quickly descends into betrayal and murder... read more

Romania

Romania has a unique culture, which is the product of its geography and of its distinct historical evolution. Like Romanians themselves, it is fundamentally defined as the meeting point of three regions: Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans, but cannot be truly included in any of them. (via)

Sparkling lovesick tormented emo type, monster killing machines type, and everything in between - this is the book which is solely responsible for most of them. It is loosely based on the characters of Vlad the Impaler, who is now much better known as Dracula the Vampire... read more

Long Island, USA

Long Island has historically been a center for fishing and seafood. This legacy continues in the Blue Point oyster, a now ubiquitous variety that was originally harvested on the Great South Bay and was the favorite oyster of Queen Victoria. Clams are also a popular food and clam digging a popular recreational pursuit, with Manhattan clam chowder reputed to have Long Island origins. (via)

The Great Gatsby is a book you get something different out every time you read it. You get a different perspective or a different understanding, or even a different way of viewing the world, either Gatsby's world or your own. The Great Gatsby is just one of those books I will never tire of reading... read more

Istanbul to London

On June 5, 1883, the first Express d'Orient left Paris for Vienna. Vienna remained the terminus until October 4, 1883. The train was officially renamed Orient Express in 1891. The original route, which first ran on October 4, 1883, was from Paris, Gare de l'Est, to Giurgiu in Romania via Munich and Vienna. At Giurgiu, passengers were ferried across the Danube to Ruse, Bulgaria, to pick up another train to Varna. They then completed their journey to Istanbul (then called Constantinople) by ferry. In 1885, another route began operations, this time reaching Istanbul via rail from Vienna to Belgrade and Niš, carriage to Plovdiv and rail again to Istanbul. (via)

Hey, I grew up in a small English village, so anywhere with more than two shops and a bus-stop was considered exotic, and meant that just about every book I read took me to places far beyond my village boundaries. But though it was small, my village had a library, and I must have borrowed every single one of Agatha Christie's novels... read more

Spinalonga, Crete

According to Venetian documents, the name of the island originated in the Greek expression στην Ελούντα stin Elounda (meaning "to Elounda"). The Venetians could not understand the expression so they familiarized it using their own language, and called it spina "thorn" lunga "long", an expression that was also maintained by the locals. The Venetians were inspired for this expression by the name of an island near Venice called by the same name and which is known today as the island of Giudecca. (via)

This book reminded me a lot of "Moloka'i" by Alan Brennert and in some ways I liked it better! There were more characters and relationships, which led to more diverseness. For those of you who were astounded to read about what transpired to those who had leprosy in Hawaii, this book is just as astonishing though the setting is the Greek Isles... read more

The Congo River, Africa

The Congo River in the past also known as the Zaire River) is a river in Africa and the world's deepest river with measured depths in excess of 220 m (720 ft).It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged. (via)

The opening of the dusky scene of a worn ship at rest on the Thames, the images of the Roman soldiers stationed out at the edge of the Empire, staring into the dark night, waiting for attack, and longing for home. I'm struggling with this. The writing is so wonderful. That first set of images -- but then the story is told again, like the Romans, the story of one man going out to the edge of the empire, into the unknown, and expecting attack at any moment... read more

La Mancha, Spain

Miguel de Cervantes gave international fame to this land and its windmills when he wrote his novel Don Quixote de La Mancha. Cervantes was making fun of this region, using a pun; a "mancha" was also a stain, as on one's honor, and thus a hilariously inappropriate homeland for a dignified knight-errant. (via)

Don Quixote is undoubtedly a masterpiece, for it is full of so many wonderful literary techniques as well as one of those works of fiction which have survived for centuries. Yet, despite being centuries old, Don Quixote feels fresh and modern, despite being a work that rambles and ambles on Don Quixote feels shorter than it is in passages and longer than it is in others. It is a great book, because we have said that it is a great book, and fascinatingly it is this power in naming something, in calling it out into the open, that is the main point of discussion within Miguel De Cervantes work of fiction... read more

The Mamanuca Islands

TheMamanuca Islands of Fiji are a volcanic archipelago lying to the west of Nadi and to the south of the Yasawa Islands. The group, a popular tourist destination, consists of about 20 islands, but about seven of these are covered by the Pacific Ocean at high tide. The Mamanuca Islands, just off the coast of Denarau offer crystal clear waters, palm fringed sandy beaches and live coral reefs. (via)

When Robinson Crusoe gets shipwrecked on an island, everything changes for him. Now stuck on the island of despair, Crusoe has to learn how to survive. Daniel Defoe’s classic survival novel has been the inspiration for many stories to come. Most people know the story so I won’t go into too much detail summarizing the book...read more

Saint Petersburg, Russia

There are hundreds of smaller bridges in Saint Petersburg spanning across numerous canals and distributaries of the Neva, some of the most important of which are the Moika, Fontanka, Griboyedov Canal, Obvodny Canal, Karpovkaand Smolenka. Due to the intricate web of canals, Saint Petersburg is often called Venice of the North. The rivers and canals in the city centre are lined with granite embankments. (via)

I can easily see someone giving this a 2star rating, as it is rambling and about a young, selfish man who murders an old woman just to prove that he can. But the reasons I gave it a 5star are the following:

Haworth railway station is part of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, an authentic preserved steam railway. The 43 miles (69 km) long Brontë Way leads past Lower Laithe Reservoir, Stanbury to the Brontë waterfalls, the Brontë Bridge and the Brontë Stone Chair in which (it is said) the sisters took turns to sit and write their first stories. It then leads out of the valley and up on the moors to Ponden Hall (reputedly Thrushcross Grange in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights) and Top Withens, a desolate ruin which was reputedly the setting for the farmstead Wuthering Heights. (via)

Let's face it, there are plenty of classics I want to read and this list could go on and on but I wanted to list the top 10 I most want to read! I don't read classics as often as I'd like to but I did make a goal to at least read 5 classics this year!...read more